The senior flight commander of Pakistan Nationals Flag Carrier, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) was suspended after a passenger found Captain sleeping on mid-flight in a seat in the business class section flight en-route flight from Islamabad to London.

The passengers from the cabin spotted the uniformed captain taking a rest and fearing the safety of travellers, informed to a senior flight attendant.

Captain Amir Akhtar Hashmi reportedly abandoned the cockpit and took a two-and-a-half hour rest in the middle of a flight from Islamabad to London on April 26th, leaving flight control to a trainee Ali Hassan Yazdani. Captain Hashmi currently is working as a senior flight instructor in PIA.

As per the source, the airline was initially hesitant to take action against Mr Hashmi, a former president of the highly-influential Pakistan Airlines Pilots Association, but later caved to “pressure from above”.

Now, however, Pakistan International Airlines reports that Hashmi has been removed from active duty, pending the outcome of a formal investigation.

Photos of the sleeping pilot was quickly circulated around the social media harming the PIA’s public image after a rash of corruption scandals, including CEO Bernd Hildenbrand, suspended and now facing bribery charges.